


Meet the Neighbours

by MondayGirl



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Child Neglect, F/F, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Gen, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Young Daryl Dixon, Young Merle Dixon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 08:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18988960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MondayGirl/pseuds/MondayGirl
Summary: Eric and Aaron Raleigh just wanted a quiet night after moving into their new home, a group of vandals have other ideas.





	1. Moving in.

**Author's Note:**

> Eric and Aaron have recently given up their roles in the ngo they had both worked for, after retraining in nursing Eric has been offered a job in pediatrics at King county general. With family in the area the couple have moved, ready to begin their new settled life. The best of plans can often be derailed by scruffy back country boys.

“No! The chair needs to go in the other corner, that corner needs to be free, so we can put the Christmas tree there.” 

Aaron paused to wipe the sweat off his forehead, the chair in question was very heavy and carrying it up the porch steps and through to the living room and been no small feat.  
“Babe, it’s May. We have months to move it. For now…” The look Eric gave him from his perch on the kitchen stool brooked no argument.

“Ok, ok the corner by the window it is. Y’know I’m starting to think you broke that ankle on purpose. Very convenient to do just before we moved.” His only answer was an indignant sniff from his husband paired with an imperious hand wave. Aaron got back to work not bothering to stifle his chuckle.

After another hour of moving furniture into their new house there was a short knock at the door signalling the arrival of their new neighbours. “Hello the house!” Shouted Hershel Greene as he let himself and one of his daughters in the front door.

“Hi, guys. Please, tell me that’s lunch you’re holding Maggie.” Laughed Aaron, glad to have a break from unpacking.

The young woman laughed at the eager faces of the two men as she set the large dish on the counter near to Eric’s stool. “Sure is, Anita made you all her famous Lasagne. We thought you guys might not want to cook after moving in all day.” 

The Greene’s visited for a little while before Hershel announced they’d leave them to it, as Maggie had to get back for her big date with the Rhee boy, much to Maggie’s supreme embarrassment if her red face was anything to go by. 

The couple had known the Greene’s for some years before they moved to King County as Hershel’s wife Anita was Eric’s aunt. Moving this far out in the sticks, even for Eric's dream job in the pediatrics department of King County general, had made the couple nervous at first but it seemed being related to the Greene’s was enough in much of the town’s books to cancel out the whole gay ‘thing’. 

Having stayed for a couple of nights at the Greene farm whilst their furniture arrived from Washington, they had met some of the family’s many friends. They already had a house warming party planned for the following weekend with attendance promised from the Grimes family, Carol Peletier, her daughter and Dale Horvath. 

It was late the next day when Aaron at last collapsed on the couch next to his husband. He surveyed the room. “Well, I think we’re finally done. Thank God, I just want to crawl in bed and stay there the rest of the week.” Eric gave him a sly smile from his position under his arm.

“Well I think that can be arranged.” With surprising dexterity Eric grabbed his crutches and moved towards the stairs closely followed by Aaron.

***************************************************************************

Aaron was woken late that night by a frantic whisper in his ear.

“Aaron! Aaron!”

“Huh? What wrong?” 

“Did you hear that?” Eric asked still talking in a worried half shout half whisper.

“Hear what? It’s the wind, go back to sleep Eric.” Just as Aaron closed his eyes to drift off again, the sound of smashing glass reached his ears.

Eric jostled him again. “That! Someone’s outside. Get my crutches. We need to go downstairs.”

Now on full alert, Aaron leapt out of bed and pulled on his discarded jeans. “No way. You stay here. I’ll see what’s going on. It’s probably just an animal. We are living in the middle of nowhere”.

“Cow’s don’t smash windows Aaron. I’ll call the police.”

Taking a breath, he crept down the stairs, should have grabbed a weapon was his last thought before he opened the door to the living/kitchen room at the front of the house. He could hear young voices whispering in the dark outside and the sound of something being sprayed. He flicked on the lights.

“Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?” He shouted at the shadowy figures defacing his house.

“Shit, run!”

“Fuck you faggot!”

“Let’s get out of here!” 

The words sent him into a state of anger fueled bravery, he ran out to the porch. All he could see in the dark was a few faint outlines of what looked like young men running away. He turned back to the house to survey the damage. 

“Fuck.”

***************************************************************************

 

Officer Walsh whistled through his teeth as he took in the broken window and the profanity sprayed on the wall. “Well folks, don’t you worry about this none. Rick’s out there now with officer Williams, them kid’s won’t have got too far.” 

His Partner spoke up. “Yeah, they’ll pick those little punks up and take ‘em down to the station. We’ll probably be able to fine them for the cost of repairs if we can apprehend them while they’re still in the area.” 

Aaron tries to muster a smile for the two cops as he passes them each a coffee, but he can still feel the anger vibrating through him. Their first night in their new home, the old farm house had felt so cosy just a few hours earlier and now they had a smashed window and FAGS spray painted across the wall. 

“That’s it? They vandalise our home and scream homophobic slurs at us and you ‘might’ fine them.” Aaron could tell from Eric’s tone that he was close exploding.

“Yeah I know. I really wish we could do more, trust me I know some people around here need a good kick up the ass when it comes to excepting people for who they are. My girlfriend still has patients who refuse to see her but, it really all depends on their ages and any priors. If it is just a bunch of kids their parents will claim it’s a harmless prank on the new comers. If they’re older or have previous with similar crimes we can get some community service thrown in.” Chambler finished with a commiserating pat on Eric’s shoulder. Walsh doesn’t look too happy about the situation either. Whether that’s because he dislikes homophobia or because he doesn’t like being called out this late is unclear. Chambler’s radio buzzed. 

She relays the message to the others. “They’ve got one of them, the Dixon kid. Don’t get excited, Walsh. It’s just the little one.”


	2. Meet the Dixons

Daryl slumped in the backseat of the cop car, he was pissed. Damn Merle and his dumbass friends running off and leaving him to get caught. And double damn officer fucking friendly who snagged him by the collar just as he was about to escape up a tree. At least they hadn't cuffed him but if that had meant he wouldn't have to hear the lecture currently being given to him from the front of the car he wouldn't have minded so much. 

Daryl managed to tune most of it out until the lady cop spoke up.

"We'll have to call your dad to pick you up and give him details of any further action, don't worry kid probably be just a fine, when we catch up to Merle he might not be so lucky."

Daryl slumped lower in the seat, "Merle weren't with me." The two cops exchanged looks in the front seat. 

The silence continued for a few minutes before Daryl hesitantly spoke up, "Ya really gonna call my dad?" 

Officer friendly- Grimes - looked over his shoulder at the boy. 

"Sorry bud. Got to release you to a parent. And your dad will have to pay the fine." Daryl grumbled in the back but said nothing more during the ride to the station.

 

****************************************************************

 

Daryl pillowed his head on his folded up knees as he waited by Officer Grimes desk. The cop had left him with a slightly stale granola bar he'd fished out his desk drawer and a luke warm vending machine hot chocolate after hearing Daryl's stomach give an embarrassingly loud rumble. They hadn't been able to reach his dad but the two cops who'd brought him in were apparently reluctant to put him in the holding cells for the night. 

He'd been there for around three hours when the door of the station banged open.

Will Dixon stumbled into the station. His red rimmed eyes had an angry cast to them as he stormed over to the front desk. Daryl watched the younger cop stationed there recoil slightly. Possibly from the almost permanent stench of booze coming off the man. "I got a message saying you all got my boy here. Where is the little shit?"

Daryl slipped off his chair ready to slink up to his and start making his apologies, he hoped the anger his dad would feel at the local PD daring to catch one of his boys and bother him at this early hour would outweigh his anger at Daryl himself. Before he could make it to his dad's side Grimes brushed past him. "Mr Dixon, thank you for making it in. We were worried something had happened when you didn't come to get Daryl sooner."

Daryl watched his Dad's brows rise at the audacity of some cop implying he wasn't doing right by his son.

"I was out hunting, no reception deep in the woods. I'm here now ain't I? What's the kid supposed to have done. He's a good boy not like his brother." Daryl suppressed a smile at the fact his dad had somewhat tried to defend him it disappeared completely as Officer Grimes read out why they'd brought him in.

Will was unfazed by the allegations against his son. "Pfft that it? You go chasing a twelve year old kid through in the middle of the night coz some fags start boo hooing about a bit of broken glass, fucking snowflakes. Was probably an accident ya'know what boys are like Grimes. So do I gotta sign something or what. I want to get home." 

"Just a couple more things Mr Dixon, due to the damage incurred you will have to pay a fine to cover the cost of repairs." Daryl looked up at his dad hesitantly waiting for the outburst. 

"Fine? I ain't paying no god damn fine, where'm I supposed to get that kinda money from hmm? You gonna give ol' Will a loan officer?." Before Officer Grimes could reply Will cut in again "Nah, Daryl can fix the fucking window his self and wash off the paint or whatever." 

The cop blinked in surprise, "Oh, well that's actually a very reasonable alternative Mr Dixon. Of course I will have to speak to the victims regarding an arrangement but if they agree to it don't see why we can't do things that way. Of course you'd have to pay for anything you may need to fix things up but I'm sure that'll cost less than any fine a judge might give."

Will looked surprised that the cop had taken his suggestion seriously obviously expecting more of a fight. He shrugged and signed the necessary paperwork before hauling Daryl out of the station and into the truck.

"Fuck's sake boy, I mean I get, I don't want no fags playing house around here either but can't ya at least learn to run a bit faster? Your ass is lucky I don't gotta pay no fine or it'd be feeling my belt right now cops or no cops." Daryl nodded in agreement.

"But dad now I've got to go to their house and fix it up? What if they try something? This is all Merle's fault." His dad snorted.

"Don't worry Darylina you ain't that pretty. 'Sides I'd skin anyone who tried that shit with my either of my boys. You best do it though, I ain't having fucking pigs sniffing around us anymore." He finished this with a cuff to the boy's head. "And don't you worry me an Merle will be having words, yes sir." 

When they got home the sun was beginning to rise. Merle was pacing on the dilapidated porch, he stopped as he watched the truck pull in. Will got out of the truck slow not taking his eyes of the older boy. "The hell is wrong with you boy? ya leaver your own baby brother to get picked up by the pigs? have them ringing me while I'm out trying ta provide for this family! Huh? you better god damn explain yourself." 

Merle didn't shrink back like Daryl knew he would have, if anything he squared his shoulders more ready for a fight. "I thought he was just behind us, but when we got to Wade's car he was gone. Shit Daryl you gotta learn to run faster. We was just having some fun dad, and they've let him out he's only a kid, knew they wouldn't charge him." 

Daryl didn't stay for Will's response but going by the shouting and the sounds of fist on flesh he wasn't too happy with Merle's back talk. Daryl felt bad but he was still pissed at his brother for getting him involved in this shit in the first place. All Daryl had wanted to do with his Saturday night was read the comic book he'd snagged from the drugstore but Merle had dragged him out with his buddies. 

He was still pissed when merle slunk into their bedroom some time later holding a years old bag of peas to his eye. "Shit the old man can still pack a punch, but I gave him just as good back." With no word of encouragement from his brother Merle thumped onto the mattress beside him, "ya not still pissed at me are ya Darylina? C'mon princess you weren't stuck there that long and the ole man didn't do nothing to ya."

Daryl mumbled from under the cover, "huh? Didn't catch that princess?"

He flung the blanket off and sat up to look at his brother, "I gotta go to that house and fix up the mess you made!" Merle waved his protests away with a laugh.

"Big deal, better than a week of not being able to sit if he'd had to pay them his beer money for the next two months. Quit whining." When Daryl still didn't show he was in a mood to forgive him Merle sighed. "Hey, bro, looked what I got for ya. Went to Billy's house first 'fore I realised you musta got caught and his ma'd made cookies. Got one for ya, chocolate chip." 

Daryl supposed that the offer of food was probably the closest he was going to get to an apology from his bog brother. He accepted the cookie with a small smile and knock shoulders with Merle to show he was forgiven. He drifted to sleep soon after, Merle snoring on the mattress across the room peas still smushed against his face.


End file.
